A popular far-left website received a blow today after a press watchdog ruled it was fair to say the outlet spread “fake news” about the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The Skwawkbox blog ran a story two days after June’s fatal blaze titled “Govt ‘puts D-notice gag’ on real Grenfell death toll”, reporting claims of a Government cover-up which were quickly shown to be false.

Steve Walker, who runs Skwawkbox, complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) after the Mail Online accused him of spreading “fake news”, and reported on Walker having sold private mail services to the NHS.

However, today IPSO ruled against Walker, saying the Mail Online story about him did not breach clauses in the Editors’ Code of Conduct on accurate reporting or violating his privacy.

What is a D-notice?

Government advice for the press flagging up information which if published could affect national security and put lives at risk

False ‘D-notice’ story

The ruling said: “As these claims [about the D-notice] had proven to be untrue, it was not significantly misleading for the publication [the Mail Online] to have said that the complainant had ‘spread’ ‘fake news’. There was no breach of the Code on this point.”

Walker’s Grenfell story published on 16 June claimed “multiple sources told the Skwawkbox that the Government has placed a ‘D-notice’ on the real number of deaths in the blaze”, and suggested the sources were correct.

The story helped fuel conspiracy theories in the wake of the housing block fire in which 71 people were killed.

A D-notice – or Defence and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) notice – is Government advice for the press flagging up information which if published could affect national security and put lives at risk.

No breach of the code

However, the Government and journalists confirmed within hours that no D-notice had been issued about Grenfell.

Walker had also accused the Mail Online of violating his privacy by recording a conversation he had with a journalist – who had identified himself as a journalist – and using pictures of him from the public version of his Facebook page.

He also claimed the paper was wrong to say he made money out of selling the NHS a mailing system, since it was given for free but he makes money when they use it.

These points were rejected in the IPSO ruling.

Skwawkbox is one of several fiercely pro-Jeremy Corbyn websites to have found a readership since Corbyn became Labour Party leader in 2015.

The outlets tend to be hostile to mainstream media organisations, and often accuse them of being inaccurate or biased.

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